Knitted binder strip



June 9, 1936.

C. F. SCHUESSLER KNITTED BINDER STRIP Filed July 30, 1932 Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTED BINDER STRIP Carl F. Schuessler, Chicago, Ill. Application July 30, 1932, Serial No. 627,019 4 Claims. 7 (oz. 66-472) This invention relates particularly to a knitted binder strip; however, it will appear from the following description that the invention has a broader application. I

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a knitted binder strip which may be fitted to knitted goods to form a tapered corner or curved edgewhile at the same time relieving the sewing threads, by which the strip is attached to the goods, from strain. The invention also contemplates the forming binder strip by which the tiously and evenly secured to the knitted goods. Other specific advantages and objects will appearas the specification proceeds.

The invention is fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sweater to one armhole of which is attached a binder strip embodying my invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged broken plan View of strip may be expedias indicated at line 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a diagram in plan of the binder tape as it comes from the machine in tubular form; and Fig. 5, a transverse sectional view of the binder strip in the form that it naturally assumes after leaving the machine.

In the illustration given, A designates a sweater having armholes A. B designates a binder strip secured to one of the armholes A.

The sweater A is given by way of illustration. It will be understood that the binder tape may be applied to other forms of knitted goods and the like.

The binder strip B is preferably formed in tubular shape on a cylinder knitting machine of Well known construction. In view of the well known character of this form of machine, a description is believed to be unnecessary. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the length of the stitches will be increased by employing short needles and decreased by employing long needles. In forming my improved form of binder strip, I employ a few long needles to form wales of short and close stitches while employing the regular short needles for forming the ordinary long stitches for the rest of the tubular strip. In other words, the circle of needles in the ordinary tubular knitting machine has been modified by applicant so that it does not contain a series of needles of the same size but instead, contains a series of long needles and then a series of short needles so that in the forming of a single circular course of stitches, some of the stitches are long and some are short. With this arrangement, when the knitted tubular strip is knitted, the body of the strip is formed of the regular long stitches I0 while along one edge of the binder strip are wales of short or close stitches ll. As shown more clearly in Fig.2, the long stitches I0 icrm nearly all of the body of the binding piece while the wales of short stitches H appear near the outer edge of the binder strip. The close stitches II tend to draw together in a more compact form and thus produce the concave curve I 2 as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. At the same time, the short stitches produce the curve or taper l3 at the upper end of the binder strip as applied to the armhole (Fig. 1). .Heretofdre it has been common to double over a portion of the binder strip to form a groove therein adapted to receive the edges of the knitted' goods to which the strip is to be attached. This. results .in a bunching or bulging of goods at the point of attachment, as well as requiring an extra folding operation. I have found that one side of the machine so as to leave a gap between the wares. As illustrated more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, the longitudinal stitches l3 are omitted in the space indicated by the numeral Hi. When the tubular piece is removed from the cylinder knitting machine, the circular threads l5 tend to draw inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 5, and to produce a natural groove. The depth of the groove can be regulated by the number of needles removed from the machine.

To attach the tape of the binder strip B to the knitted goods, as illustrated in Fig. l, the edge of the goods A is inserted into the groove I 4 with the larger overlap I 6 on the inner side. The strip may then be sewed to the goods from the outer side of the binder strip, the stitches I 1 passing through the shorter overlap l8 and then through the longer overlap l6. With this arrangement, the operator need only make sure that the stitches I! pass through the shorter or outer overlap l8. The under portion I6 is so extensive that care is not required to make sure that the stitches will pass therethrough.

As already stated, the omission of longitudinal stitches causes a natural groove in the binder strip. Also, the short stitches tend to draw together and form a natural curve at I 2. There- 55 fore, by varying the number of needles between the rows of long needles and the gap where no needles are used, the groove and curve may be formed where desired on the strip and the desired amount of overlap obtained.

By the omission of the wales l3 at the point where the loop is formed, the resulting connection or joint is thinner and is substantially even with the knitted goods to which it is attached.

It is well known that when a binder strip is attached to an armhole of a sweater, etc., the weakest point is the threads employed to sew the binder strip to the goods. The strain placed upon the binder strip when the sweater is worn tends to stretch and perhaps break the attachment threads. By employing my improved binder strip with the wales of short stitches along the outer folded edge [2, the strain is absorbed by the outer edge or border and the threads 11 are protected. This, of course, is due to the tendency of the short stitches H to contract and form the outer curved surface I2. When the border is stretched, the first stretching must occur in the outer contracted edge portion l2; before tension is placed upon the inner attachment thread ll, the outer edge portion l2 will have to be torn. The contracting of the outer edge portion of the tape also serves to produce a natural taper around the armhole which gives the sweater a better fit and enhances the attractiveness of the garment;

It will be obvious that various means may be employed for producing wales of short stitches in a cloth area formed of long stitches. Instead of changing needles, the machines may be modified so as to produce the same effect as employing longer or shorter needles. Also, while the invention has been described in connection with a certain well known machine, other available machines may be satisfactorily employed in carrying out the invention.

While the invention has been described, by way of illustration, in connection with a knitted binder strip for use with the armholes of sweaters, it will be apparent that the invention has broader applications and may be employed in connection with other fabrics. The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In combination with a garment provided with an armhole, a knitted tubular binder piece having certain longitudinal wales of stitches omitted to form a groove adapted to receive the fabric adjacent the armhole, and means for securing the garment fabric within said groove.

2. In combination, a garment provided with an armhole, a tubular binder piece of knitted fabric having wales of longitudinal stitches removed 'to provide a groove, said groove being adapted to receive the border of said garment adjacent the armhole, and sewing stitches securing said garment borders within the groove of the binder.

3. In combination, a garment provided with an armhole, a knitted tubular binder piece having certain longitudinal wales omitted so as to form a groove, said groove receiving the borders of the garment adjacent the armhole, and stitching means securing the garment border within the groove of said'binder strip, said binder strip having its outer folded edge formed of shorter stitches than the remainder of the strip.

at. In combination with a garment provided with a substantially circular hole, a knitted tubular binder piece having certain longitudinal wales of stitches omitted to form a groove adapted to receive the fabric adjacent the hole, and

means for securing the garment fabric within 40 said groove.

- CARL F. SCHUESSLER. 

